Rainbarrel system can be inexpensive

Published: Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 3, 2006 at 12:00 a.m.

To The Editor: Diane Silver's column on harvesting rainwater from your roof and storing it in rainbarrels is quite appropriate at this time.

I would like to suggest, however, that a rain collection system can be assembled for much less cost than she indicated. Fifty-five-gallon plastic barrels can be purchased for $5 to $8 from several local sources and assembled into quite workable systems using simple siphoning or hand-held electric pumps.

Such a system is in use at one of the gardens on the ECO Garden Tour that is being held today. The owner would be quite happy to explain its operation in complete detail.

The rain barrels can be purchased from L&R and Sons at 2511 Asheville Highway (692-0023), or from a gentleman on McMinn Road (693-6848).

And it doesn't take much rain to fill up a barrel. One-tenth of an inch of rainfall on a 25-foot by 45-foot house will produce 70 gallons of water.

<p>To The Editor: Diane Silver's column on harvesting rainwater from your roof and storing it in rainbarrels is quite appropriate at this time.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>I would like to suggest, however, that a rain collection system can be assembled for much less cost than she indicated. Fifty-five-gallon plastic barrels can be purchased for $5 to $8 from several local sources and assembled into quite workable systems using simple siphoning or hand-held electric pumps.</p><p>Such a system is in use at one of the gardens on the ECO Garden Tour that is being held today. The owner would be quite happy to explain its operation in complete detail.</p><p>The rain barrels can be purchased from L&R and Sons at 2511 Asheville Highway (692-0023), or from a gentleman on McMinn Road (693-6848).</p><p>And it doesn't take much rain to fill up a barrel. One-tenth of an inch of rainfall on a 25-foot by 45-foot house will produce 70 gallons of water.</p><p>Happy harvesting.</p><p>Larason Lambert</p><p>Hendersonville</p>